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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659603">It’s My Mother (And I’ll Cry If I Want To)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon'>LexLemon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ll Build a World Around You [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cliff Booth has a heart, Context in the beginning note, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Me? Acknowledging Francesca for once?, Rick Dalton has a heart, Rick and Cliff are still friends with Francesca, Rick and Cliff are trying their best, Tracy has only child syndrome, Tracy’s a tad possessive over her family, it’s more likely than you think</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:54:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,905</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after their divorce, Francesca tells Rick that she’s having another kid. Their daughter is...less than thrilled by the news.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cliff Booth/Rick Dalton, Francesca Capucci/Rick Dalton (previous), Rick Dalton &amp; Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ll Build a World Around You [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It’s My Mother (And I’ll Cry If I Want To)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So here’s some context for this fic: My story is that Rick and Francesca were in the process of getting divorced when she found out she was pregnant with Tracy. Francesca didn’t feel like she was ready for motherhood and thought a custody arrangement would be too difficult and would put a strain on their kid since she was planning on moving back to Italy. So Rick decided to take full custody after Tracy was born. So Tracy is biologically Rick and Francesca’s, but she was raised by Rick and Cliff. However, Rick, Tracy, and Francesca still keep in contact with one another and are friendly with each other. But Tracy didn’t learn about Francesca and formally meet her until she was five (what she’s aged here), when Francesca visited L.A. for a week to get to know her. After that, they made a deal that she would visit once a week every summer so she could still be a part of her life. Also, during their five years apart, Francesca remarried to a guy named Stefano Bertilini.</p><p>Anyway, title comes from “It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Now w-w-when would you be due?...March, wow...Oh, yeah. Yeah, sh-sh-she'll understand. I can't w-w-wait to tell 'em, though."</p><p>If anyone saw the way Rick Dalton looked while talking on the phone that afternoon, they would have thought he was a lovestruck fool. His body leaned against the post that held his wall telephone, and he twirled the cord of the phone around his fingers with a giddy smile on his face. Someone may have thought he was talking to a crush on the other line, but he was actually talking to his ex-wife.</p><p>Rick had met a lot of people over the years who always said that divorce was the best thing that ever happened to them. They would go on and on about how their ex was the devil incarnate and how they still seemed to haunt them no matter where they went. Frankly, Rick didn't get it.</p><p>Sure, he felt better after divorcing Francesca, but there was no bad blood between them. They still liked each other as people and remained great friends long after she moved back to Italy. He simply couldn't love her like a wife, and she respected that. Rick thought the decision was better for her too since she could live her life the way she wanted to now. And with their latest call drawing to a close, he knew that everything they had gone through together had been worth it.</p><p>Leaning over the holder, Rick said, "Alright, I-I-I-I'll leave you two be...Three, right. That's right...Alright, I will. Bye now."</p><p>The moment he hung up the phone, he was greeted by the sounds of his family running down the hall to meet him.</p><p>"Daddy, Daddy, look!" Rick's daughter, Tracy, said as she ran over to him. "Pop painted my nails!"</p><p>Rick bent down to hold the five-year-old's hands and found their nails to be painted bright red.</p><p>"Oh, they're beautiful, darlin'," he said. "P-P-Pop did a good job."</p><p>"Yeah, it was easier than I thought it would be," Cliff Booth said as he leaned against the minibar counter. "Let's just hope they last for a while."</p><p>Rick flashed his boyfriend a quick smile then turned back to Tracy, keeping his eyes on her. "Hey, Tracy, guess what? That was M-M-Mama on the phone."</p><p>Tracy's eyes instantly lit up, and her mouth formed a large O as she gasped. "Mommy called? What'd she say? What'd she say? Did she say, did she say anything about me?"</p><p>"She did. She wanted m-m-me t-to say hello a-and give you a b-big hug and kiss from her."</p><p>Rick then pulled Tracy into his arms and squeezed her tight, kissing her head at the same time. The move caused her to let out a squeal mixed in with a giggle, making Rick laugh as well. Once they let go, Rick took her hands and looked into her eyes again.</p><p>"And she had big news too. M-M-Mama's havin' a baby."</p><p>The gasp in the room came from Cliff, whose wide eyes were aimed at Rick as he moved towards the others. He said, "You're kidding! And she's okay with it?"</p><p>"Yeah, she's thrilled. Her and St-St-Stefano have been t-tryin' for a while now."</p><p>"Oh, that's great. When is she due?"</p><p>"March."</p><p>"March, wow. Wait, so she was pregnant the whole time she was here and didn't even know it?"</p><p>"I guess so."</p><p>"Wow, that's crazy."</p><p>"Mommy's having a baby?" Tracy's small voice spoke up.</p><p>The two men looked down at their daughter to find that her smile had vanished completely, leaving a pained look on her face in its place.</p><p>None the wiser, Rick said, "Yeah! You're goin' to h-h-have a little brother or sister, Tracy. Ain't that e-e-excitin'?"</p><p>"Oh." Tracy's eyes trailed down to the floor, and she shrugged. "Okay."</p><p>The two men picked up on her mood shift then, causing them to look at each other with concern. It was easy for them to know when Tracy was upset, and the mood could last for a long time if they didn't intervene. They needed to cheer her up and fast. Luckily, Cliff thought of an idea first and stepped over to her.</p><p>"Hey, Tracy. Now that your nails are done, you want to play outside for a little bit?"</p><p>Tracy's smile returned as she turned to look at him, bouncing on her feet with a gasp. "Yeah!"</p><p>"Alright, let's go."</p><p>Cliff pushed her along and moved her towards the front door, but he gave Rick an indifferent smile before he headed off. Rick gave him one in return and watched them go outside, his eyebrows furrowing together as he pursed his lips.</p><p>Playing with Cliff would be enough to distract Tracy for a little while, but he knew his daughter. Whatever was bothering her would come back eventually, and he'd get to the bottom of it.</p><p>~</p><p>The sound of laughter rang out through the house once night fell. It came from Tracy while Rick picked her up and carried her to her bed, dropping her down with a <em>plop</em>.</p><p>"Alright, honey pie. Time for bed," he said as he pulled the covers over her.</p><p>Rick's smile fell when he noticed that Tracy's had as well. She didn't lay down right away and instead sat up, her hands folded in her lap as she looked down. Bending down to be level to her, Rick placed a hand on her leg and tried to look in her eyes.</p><p>"Tracy, are you alright? You've b-b-been real quiet today."</p><p>Tracy attempted to smile as she nodded with a hum. "I'm okay."</p><p>Rick knew that was a lie. If there was one thing Tracy couldn't do, it was lie believably.</p><p>"Are you sure?" he asked, slight warning in his tone.</p><p>Tracy nodded again, looking at him for a moment before turning away.</p><p>Rick sighed. She'd talk eventually. Maybe she just needed to sleep it off.</p><p>Shaking his head, he took to his feet again and said, "Alright." He stood over Tracy and kissed her cheek, stroking her hair all the while. "Good night, darlin'."</p><p>"Good night, Daddy."</p><p>Rick then stood up and turned towards the door, turning the light off as he left her door open a crack. He was just about to reach the end of the hall when he heard the undeniable sound of Tracy crying in her room. He spun on his heels as quickly as he could and raced back inside, turning the light on and throwing the door open.</p><p>Tracy remained sitting upright in bed, but her face had turned as red as her nails as tears streamed down her cheeks.</p><p>Moving to hover over her, Rick asked in a pained voice, "Tracy, what's wrong?"</p><p>"Mommy doesn't love me anymore."</p><p>The twinge that pinched at Rick's heart grew stronger after hearing that, prompting him to sit beside her and wrap his arm around her.</p><p>"Oh, Tracy no," he said. "No, Mama still loves you."</p><p>"Then why is she having a baby?"</p><p>Rick's shoulders sagged as he slanted his lips. So that's what this was about.</p><p>He was struggling to find an answer to her question, though. He didn't have the slightest idea on how to answer her without giving her "the Talk," and that conversation wasn't happening for at least ten more years. Thinking fast, he gave her the best answer he could.</p><p>"Well, babies a-are a surprise. You don't r-r-really expect to have one. And Mama was surprised t-t-too, but she's s-so happy to have one."</p><p>"But what about me? Mommy has me! I just got Mommy, but she wants a baby now. She doesn't want me."</p><p>Tracy started to cry harder, causing Rick to press her close to his chest to keep him from crying too.</p><p>"Oh, Tracy, that ain't true," he started to say.</p><p>Before he could go on, he looked over to see Cliff standing in the doorway with panic in his eyes. The one night he chooses to take Brandy for a walk, and Tracy starts to have a meltdown while he's gone.</p><p>"What's the matter?" Cliff asked.</p><p>Rick said, "Tracy thinks Mama d-d-d-don't love her no more 'cause sh-she's havin' a baby."</p><p>"Oh, Tracy." Cliff wandered into the room and sat on the other side of Tracy, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Tracy, that's not it at all. Mommy loves you so much. She just...can't always show it 'cause she lives so far away."</p><p>Cliff let her sniffle into Rick's chest for a moment before rubbing her back. "Tracy, I know Mommy still loves you. When she was here a couple weeks ago, I saw how she played with you and talked with you. She was <em>so</em> happy to finally meet you."</p><p>"She was so excited," Rick added. "She kept tellin' me 'b-b-bout how great you were and that sh-sh-she wanted to see you again."</p><p>Tracy sniffled and picked her head up. "Really?"</p><p>"Yeah," her fathers chorused as they moved closer.</p><p>Cliff added, "She loved being with you."</p><p>"A-A-And she told me today t-to give you a hug a-and kiss from her. Don't that mean sh-sh-she loves you?"</p><p>Tracy looked down for a moment to think it over. She soon shrugged and scrunched up her lips. "Yeah."</p><p>"Tracy, just because Mommy's having another baby doesn't mean she's going to stop loving you," Cliff said.</p><p>Rick added, "It might be a little h-h-harder for her to come s-see you every year, but sh-she still wants to. It just...might be a-at the end of the s-s-summer 'stead of the beginnin'."</p><p>A thought then popped into Rick's head, causing him to tap Tracy's arm. "Hey, tell you what. Do you w-w-want to call Mama t-t-tomorrow so you can t-t-talk to her 'bout it?"</p><p>Tracy nodded at him with soft eyes. "Yeah."</p><p>"Alright, we'll do that."</p><p>"Do you feel a little better now, Tracy?" Cliff asked.</p><p>Tracy nodded again, now with a small smile on her face.</p><p>"Good." Cliff ran his thumb over her cheek as he kissed it. "Get some sleep now, okay?"</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>"Good night, Tracy," Rick said again as he moved his way back towards the door.</p><p>"Good night, Daddy."</p><p>Rick then turned off the light and shut the door once more, waiting for Cliff to join him in the hall. Once the two men stood together, they each rested their backs on the wall opposite each other and sighed.</p><p>Cliff started, "Well, I guess we're not giving her siblings any time soon."</p><p>"Nah, no way." Rick looked down for a moment before furrowing his brows at Cliff. "Did you want another kid?"</p><p>"No, no, I'm good." Cliff held up his hands in defense. "I was just saying."</p><p>Rick sighed in relief and nodded. "Yeah, me neither."</p><p>"That was good, though. What you suggested. I think that'll help her."</p><p>"You think so?"</p><p>"Yeah, definitely." Cliff then wrapped his arm around Rick, his fingers ruffling through his hair, and leaned in for a kiss. "You're a good dad, Rick Dalton."</p><p>Rick sighed with a sheepish smile. "Thank you."</p><p>Moving away from Cliff, he began to wander out of the hall and towards the kitchen, tilting his head back with a groan.</p><p>"But I think I need a drink now."</p><p>"Yeah, you and me both."</p><p>The two men then moved into the minibar to find their choice of alcohol for the evening, drinking it through the night to celebrate another parenting crisis averted.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you’re curious, Francesca has a girl named Juliet. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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